Born into a family of teachers in Pretoria, Niel attended high school in Pietersburg in South Africa. After matriculating in 1980 he studied at the University of Pretoria, where he attained the BA Ed, BMus cum laude and an MMus in Composition. In 1997 he completed his Doctorate in Musicology at the University of South Africa with a doctoral dissertation on the life and works of the British composer Gerald Finzi.
Career
After his military service in the old South African Defence Force, he joined the staff of Pretoria Boys High School, a prominent South African public school, where he is currently head of the Music Department and conductor of both the orchestra and Dixie Band. While he is a full-time teacher, he dedicates much of his time to composition. Van der Watt has also arranged a significant amount of traditional African music for choir as well as setting leading Afrikaans poetry to music, including the works of Antjie Krog and N.P. van Wyk Louw.
Influences
While van der Watt's early works show the influence of late romanticists like Rachmaninoff and Fauré, his mastery of harmony and counterpoint reveals a deep understanding of and reverence for the great master Johann Sebastian Bach. This, offset by a keen appreciation for jazz, rock and traditional African music, has made his oeuvre especially distinctive. A key work illustrating this is the De-Commercialised American Christ's Mass , which employs variations on popular Christmas carols to form a witty yet reverent incarnation of the Roman Catholic Low Mass.
Trivia
Van der Watt originally joined the staff of Pretoria Boys High School as an English teacher.
He is an avid fan of the Beatles, Billy Joel and ABBA as far as popular music is concerned and is known for his dislike of Beethoven.
In 2008 he wanted to prove to Pretoria Boys High School's Symphony orchestra that he did not dislike Beethoven at all and arranged Beethoven's 2nd movement of the Pathethique Sonata for the orchestra.
Secular Choral Works Ai, meisie, meisie; SAB Alleen; girls chorus As good as new; orchestra; SATB Religious Choral Works A De-commercialised American Christ’s Mass i) Kyrie: Amazing Grace ii) Gloria: Do you hear what I hear? iii) Sanctus: White Christmas. iv) Benedictus: Santa Claus is Coming To Town v) Agnus Dei: Little Altar Boy Traditional Choral Works African Dawn i) Boroko; girls chorus ii) Ka Mehla; girls chorus iii) Thobela morena; girls chorus Works for Soloists Benediction; voice and piano Bitterbessie dagbreek; voice and piano Die son sal weer skyn; voice and piano Dinah Lee ; voice, piano, alto saxophone and double bass Dis my plek ; voice and piano Drup drup druppeltjies ; voice and piano; Dust of snow ; voice and piano Fides veritas labor ; voice and piano Instrumental Works Trio pour mam’selle leger e’stier; orchestra, flute, clarinet, piano African Dawn ; orchestra African Reflection ; orchestra Afrika kerslied ; alto saxophone and piano Aquarelle ; piano Boabab ; orchestra Con'Scertino ; viola and piano In June 1995 African songbook for mixed choir was published. It was written in co-operation with the composer Johann van der Sandt.
